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1. Embed this notice
   Rick T-137 🥒 (rickt137@astrodon.social)'s status on Friday, 31-Jan-2025 03:02:11 JST Rick T-137 🥒

   Here's an updated picture of my Commodore VIC-20 running my bulletin board system (DeepSkies BBS).

   In the back of the VIC is a VIC-1011A RS-232 card that connects the VIC via a null modem cable to a Mac mini that's in behind the VIC (on the right). The Mac is running tcpser that connects the VIC to the Internet.

   There's also an SD2IEC drive plugged into the datasette port with a 32GB micro SD card in it that holds all the files for the BBS.

   In the cartridge port is a VIC-2407 cartridge that supplies the VIC with 35KB of RAM expansion and a real time clock chip. The VIC also has a JiffyDOS ROM in it, and I added a toggle switch to the back so I can turn it off and use the stock ROM when I want (for compatibility with some stuff).

   The VIC-2407 is a bespoke cartridge made for me by JaystoniansRetroShop on Etsy! He is fantastic to work with!

   Over to the left, you can see my Ray Carlsen power supply with cold-war spec toggle switch that goes "KA-CHUNK!" when you flip it. It's awesome!

   You can fire up your VIC-20 and dial into my BBS 24hrs a day, 7 days a week:

   bbs.deepskies.com:6400

   #RetroComputing #Commodore #BBS #BulletinBoardSystem #Astronomy #Modem #Telnet #JiffyDOS #VIC20 #CommodoreVIC20 #Apple #Macintosh #tcpser #Linux #Debian #OpenSource

   • Embed this notice
     Peter Krefting (nafmo@social.vivaldi.net)'s status on Friday, 31-Jan-2025 03:02:10 JST Peter Krefting

     in reply to

     @rickt137 Smashing!

     How are you connecting the VIC to the screen? I got my old VIC-20 up and and running for the first time in a decade or so, and connected it to a LCD TV over an antenna cable, and the picture quality was quite horrible.

   • Embed this notice
     Peter Krefting (nafmo@social.vivaldi.net)'s status on Friday, 31-Jan-2025 03:29:43 JST Peter Krefting

     in reply to

     • root42

     @rickt137 @root42 So video out and not RF, then. I didn't get that to work last I tried, but it had been so long since last I tried that I have forgotten what to connect where (and I don't have any cables with the correct colors, so it's all trial-and-error).

     Thanks!

   • Embed this notice
     Rick T-137 🥒 (rickt137@astrodon.social)'s status on Friday, 31-Jan-2025 03:29:44 JST Rick T-137 🥒

     in reply to

     • root42
     • Peter Krefting

     @root42 @nafmo Correct! That is an old Polaroid 14" color TV. I am using a regular cable that has the yellow, red and white RCA plugs on them. I believe all the video goes through yellow, and that red and white are left/right channel audio (and the VIC is just mono, so likely only one is being used). Good eye!

   • Embed this notice
     root42 (root42@chaos.social)'s status on Friday, 31-Jan-2025 03:29:46 JST root42

     in reply to

     • Peter Krefting

     @nafmo @rickt137 isn’t that just an old LCD TV?